Londoners are turning to apps so they don't have to buy a car

Uber London has never been a great place to own a car. Traffic jams are abundant, you have to pay every time you enter the congestion zone, and you're more likely to pick up a knock in the capital than you are in other UK cities.

Now a YouGov poll has found almost half of Londoners see apps like Uber and DriveNow as a viable alternative to owning a car.

The poll — involving 2,148 Londoners and commissioned by Uber, which has an interest in promoting the research — found that 43% of Londoners believe that app-based car booking services are a genuine alternative to owning a car.

Of those polled, 34% said they have used an app to book a car in the last year. That figure rises to 55% for 16-30 year olds. The poll also revealed that 22% of Londoners who currently own a car would consider not owning one if they could get a car more easily through an app.

Jo Bertram, regional general manager of Uber in the UK, said in a statement: "Cars are one of the most expensive things people own but they're used just five per cent of the time. These figures suggest that many Londoners are now open to not owning a car and using their smartphones instead.

"Apps like Uber mean people can get around and connect to public transport without ever needing their own car. This can mean fewer parking spaces needed and better air quality over time."

In a press release, Uber touted research that is likely to further put people off buying a car. The research suggests that the average car spends 95% of its life parked and that 16% of land in central London is dedicated to parking.